Oct. 8, 2013

Written by

The Tennessean

More babies have been born dependent on drugs in the first nine months of this year than in all of 2011, the Tennessee Department of Health said Monday, the same day that the Trust For America’s Health ranked the state eighth for drug overdose deaths.

As of the first week of October, 643 babies were born dependent on drugs in Tennessee this year. The state can now track the data more quickly.

This year, the Health Department made neonatal abstinence syndrome a reportable illness — a requirement that is typically limited to communicable diseases. Previously, the state could not track the problem effectively because the Health Department would receive a report nine to 18 months after a diagnosis. Now, doctors and hospital officials must report cases as soon as they are diagnosed.

“At the current rate this epidemic is progressing, we are projecting more than 800 drug-dependent newborns by the end of this year,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. John Dreyzehner. “This is a preventable condition that can be largely eliminated. Preventing addiction, thoughtful treatment and preventing unintended pregnancy are the most productive conversations we can have right now.”

The department analyzed the cases and determined that 42.1 percent of the mothers used drugs prescribed for a legitimate treatment, 20.4 percent mixed prescribed drugs with non-prescribed substances, 33.4 percent used substances obtained illegally and 4 percent were unable to provide the exact source.

“Our data show the majority of these births involved a mother taking medicine prescribed by a health care provider,” Dreyzehner said. “We need improved conversations between women of childbearing age and their doctors.”

The other report issued Monday compared states according to fatal drug overdoses and other measures.

Tennessee ranked eighth for its overdose mortality rate, with 16.9 people per 100,000 dying. The states were compared on data from 2010.

However, the same report noted that Tennessee was doing more than other states to combat the problem. The Trust of America’s Health measured the states and Washington, D.C., according to 10 indicators. While the nation’s capital and 28 states scored six or less on the indicators, Tennessee matched seven of them.

Only New Mexico and Vermont achieved a 10.

Tennessee failed on three of the indicators: failing to participate in Medicaid expansion to enable more people to get treatment for addiction, failing to have a “good Samaritan” law to protect people from prosecution who seek help for someone experiencing an overdose, and failing to have a law to expand access to naloxone, a drug that people can use to counteract an overdose.

The 643 babies born dependent on drugs so far this year compare to 629 for all of 2011. Data for 2012 is not yet available.